South Korean prosecutors indicted three executives of a drone manufacturing company on charges of sending uncrewed aerial vehicles into North Korea multiple times, allegedly heightening inter-Korean tensions, authorities said Wednesday.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said it has formally arrested and indicted a 32-year-old company director, surnamed Oh, on charges that include benefiting the enemy and violating the Aviation Safety Act.
Two other executives — the company’s chief executive, surnamed Jang, and another director in charge of North Korea-related operations, surnamed Kim — were indicted without detention on the same charges.
The three are accused of flying drones across the Military Demarcation Line on four occasions, directing them to operate over the Kaesong area in North Korea to capture footage, prosecutors said.
The actions were allegedly intended to escalate tensions between the two Koreas and harm South Korea’s military interests.
Some of the drones failed to return and crashed in North Korea, where authorities are believed to have analyzed recovered data and issued statements referencing the incidents.
A joint military-police task force that previously investigated the case said the suspects launched the drones from the Incheon island of Ganghwado, programming them to pass through Kaesong and Pyeongsan before returning to Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in what it described as test flights conducted for potential commercial gain.
During the investigation, it was reportedly confirmed that Oh had previously worked at the presidential office under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, prosecutors said.
The prosecution said it conducted additional inquiries after receiving the case on March 6, including cross-checking evidence collected by the task force and reviewing witness statements. However, it declined to pursue charges under the law governing the protection of military bases and installations, citing a lack of objective evidence proving that restricted facilities were filmed.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
